Young, Old Pay Tribute to Veterans : Ceremonies: Services across the county mark the sacrifices of dedicated and patriotic servicemen and women.

Fourteen-year-old Agnes Nemethy, outfitted in a black U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps uniform, stood ramrod straight with her squadron at a Veterans Day ceremony in Simi Valley, remembering a story about a Navy seaman who sacrificed his life so the lives of his comrades could be spared.

Vietnam veteran Darron Sharp, 49, of Simi Valley, came to spend time with his combat brethren and pray for fallen and wounded American soldiers.

And for 75-year-old Russ Bond, a decorated U.S. Marine who fought at Guantanamo Bay and other World War II battlefields, Saturday morning’s ceremony at Rancho Tapo Park was a time to be recognized for his soldiering efforts and to be greeted with many glad-you-made-it-back wishes.

All across Ventura County, color guards, commemoration speeches and benedictions honored those who died and those who served in U.S. wars.

Commemorations also were held in Oxnard’s Plaza Park, where ceremonies included students reading essays on “What a Veteran Means to Me”; at Constitution Park in Camarillo, where a veterans monument was dedicated last year; and in Ventura, at a service held at Ivy Lawn Memorial Park.

At the Ventura service, Garland Middleton asked about 40 veterans and their families to remember all Americans who have served their country--from the men and women at the helm of government to the ones who live by the bridge in cardboard boxes.

“There is one thing that they all will not negotiate,” said Middleton, a 62-year-old Korean War veteran from Camarillo, during his speech at the Ventura cemetery. “That is their patriotism in the flag.”

More than 700 stars and stripes bedecked the cemetery, visible to many motorists who zoomed past the sprawling patch of green along the Ventura Freeway. Local Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and U.S. Navy Sea Cadets spent more than three hours Friday positioning the banners.

“Taps” was played on a tape recorder. Remarks were brief. But local veterans said the simple ceremony was a fitting way to take a solemn hour out of the year to honor America’s service people.

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“I kind of look forward to Nov. 11,” said Eddie Leighton, a 77-year-old World War II veteran from Ventura. “I like to recognize all the veterans who really went out and did something for the country.”

Members of the Viet Nam Vets Motorcycle Club laid a wreath made of red and black paper carnations beneath a towering flagpole to honor the nearly 60,000 servicemen who died in the Vietnam War. Part of a veterans organization of about 8,000 members nationwide who ride cycles, the dozen men in leather and denim jackets stood shoulder-to-shoulder behind older veterans.

In a quiet, grave voice, one Vietnam War veteran who identified himself only as “Crash,” said he was particularly struck with a strong sense of unity with the others attending Saturday’s memorial service.

“I feel kind of proud,” said Crash, a 44-year-old carpenter from Moorpark. “Look at all my brothers here. Everyone sacrificed a lot for this country and we are still doing it.”

Originally, Nov. 11 was known as Armistice Day--marking the end of World War I, which was to end all wars. But because soldiers died in subsequent wars, Armistice Day became known as Veterans Day, a time to remember the bloodshed of war.

A soldier’s death is a high price to pay, said Gulf War veteran Gary Rinaldi during ceremonies in Simi Valley. “But it’s a high price we have to pay for freedom.”

Rinaldi--a retired Army major who served with a battalion that launched Patriot missiles--said Veterans Day commemorations help pass awareness to younger generations. “War cannot be taken for granted,” he said.

Agnes Nemethy, a high school freshman in Simi Valley, whose cadet squadron is based in Port Hueneme, shared her thoughts about Veterans Day after the ceremonies.

As she took part in the tribute with her squadron, Nemethy said her mind was on a story she heard at cadet school about a WWII Navy seaman whose vessel had been attacked and was sinking fast with several men caught below deck. The seaman jarred open a porthole and led the others to safety.

“He didn’t get out in time and drowned,” she said. “He needs to be honored.”